Self-feeding smokeless furnace



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G GULICKSON SELF FEEDING sMoKBLBss FURNAGB.

Patented June 5, 1894.

7%/71esses 2 (No Model.)

G. GULICKSON.

SELF PEEDING SMOKELBSS FURNAGB.

Paltengaed June 5, 1894.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

e. GULIGKSON. SELF FEEDING SMOKBLBSS PURNAGE.

No. 520,986. Patented June 5, 1894.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4. G. GULIOKSON. vSELF PEEDING SMOKELESS FURNACB.

No. 520,986. ,Patented June 5, 1894.

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PWN@ coMPAnv @Narren STATES ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE GULICKSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

-SELF-FEEDING SMOKELESS FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,986, dated J' une 5, 18,94. Application fled February 23,1892. Serial No. 422,375. (No model.)

My invention relates to furnaces for steam boilers.

The object of my invention is to provide a steam boiler furnace of a simple and economical construction, by means of which a uniform and complete combustion of the fuel may be secured and the heat utilized in the production of steamwithout the production of smoke.

My invention consists in the novel devices and novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a device embodying my invention, and which I believe to be the best mode now known to me-for practicing the same.

In said drawings, Which form a part of this specification, Figure l is a vertical central sectional view of saidedevice. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken in part on the line 2-2 of Fig. l and in part on the line 3- 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of one of the traveling grates. Fig. 4 is an enlargcd detail sectional View of the grate. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of one of the links of the grate.Y Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the hinge links. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of one of the cross bars which support the grate bars. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of one of the end grate bars of each link, and Fig. l0 illustrates a modification in which the invention is applied to a water tube boiler, as contradistinguished from a tubular boiler, as illustrated in the other iigures.

The same reference letters are employed to indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In said drawings A-represents the boiler, A its shell, B the furnace, C the furnace walls, D the grate, E the exit or smoke flue and F the fuel hopper or feed device.

In the drawings a battery of three boilers and furnaces are represented as being ar: ranged parallel to each other, but any greater cross bars d.

.or less number may be employed as desired, or as occasion may require.

The grate D is a traveling grate, composed of a number of separate links D', connected together and mounted upon sprocket wheels or rollers D2 and traveling upon suitable tracks or guide ways D3 D4, which extend between the sprocket wheels or rollers. The guide ways or tracks D3 D4, one for the upper and one for the lower loop of the link chain grate are lxed in suitable recesses c in the furnace walls C. Each link D of the link chain grate is composed of a series of parallel short grate bars d, supported upon a pair of-cross bars d d', which are connected at each end and supported by the hinge links cl2 of the chain. The hinge links d2 have projections or brackets d3 to receive the cross bars d. The hinge links d2 are hinged or pivoted together by pivot bolts d4 which pass through the ears d5 ofv said hinge links. The cross bars CZ are furnished with openings d to receive the lugs (Z7 which are cast upon the brackets d3 on the hinge links, whereby the cross bars d are held in place in connection with the grate bars d supported on the cross bars d. The cross bars d consist of vertical webs furnished with a thickened bearing rib dS at its upper edge, preferably of a round, or substantially round form. This thickened rib d8 extends nearly to the end of the bar cZ, but not quite, space being left at the end to permit the insertion of the grate bars d in place through the slot dg, leadin gto the eye or bearing hole d10 in each of said grate bars d. In addition to the eyes d10 and slot dg the grate bars are each furnished with ybosses du, one L011 each side of each eye, the

purpose of which is to keep the grate bars d a proper distance apart on their supporting It will be observed that in putting the links of the grate bars together the two cross bars d d of each link are first put in place on the brackets d3 of the hinge links cl2, and then the series of grate bars dinserted at the end on the cross bars d and slipped endwise along the same in place. The grate bars d thus serve to lock or4 hold the cross bars d in place on the lugs d7 ofthe brackets cl3. Each link D' of the grate is also furnished with two side or extreme grate bars IOO (112 d12 which are wider or deeper than the other grate bars and thus serve as side flanges for the grate as a whole, thereby keeping the fuel olf the hinge links. The side flange grate bars di? also serve to :till up the space at the extreme ends of the cross bars d. These side flange grate bars (i12 are each furnished witha projecting pin or lug C213 which projects through the bracket clon thehingelink and is secured in place by a key d which passes through the same, The sprocket wheels D2 upon which the hinge links d2 travel, are secured to shafts D5 which are journaled in suitable bearings supported in the furnace walls C, and a slow traveling movement is imparted to the grate bars from any suitable countershaft or source of power through the intermeshing gears DG D7, shaft DS, sprocket wheel D9 and belt or chain D10. -Or a slow 'traveling movement may be imparted to the grate `by any other suitable means. Thisslow traveling movement ofthe grate, in connection with the feed hopper F which visfurnished with an adjustable gate or slide F', serves to feed or supply the fuel to the grate or furnace in a uniform and regular rinanner, so that the fuel at the extreme y front end-of the furnace may always be in a state `of gradual and slow ignition, while that at the middle and back portions of the grate may be at a high heat and in a state of rapid combustion, while that at the extreme back end of the grate may be simply in the form of residue or ash. By this means not only is the fuel fed uniformly and evenly and at a proper rate to the furnace to produce the required `amount of heat or power, and the grate is also caused to keep itself clean and in the "best condition for proper combustion of the fuel, but also any smoke which may be caused by the uniform slow and regu- `lar ignition of fresh fuel near the front end of the grate is caused to pass over the high heated fuel at the rearward portions of the grate and thus becompletelyconsumed and utilized.

D11 isahinged gate or guard supported from an arch C which projects over the rear end This guard or gate serves to prevent the too free passage of air l around the end of the grate or to regulate the quantity of air that may be here admitted to insure a more thorough and complete combustionof the products in their further passage of :the traveling grate.

through Ithe furnace and boiler.

C2 is an arch projecting over the grate D l and extending to near the rear end -of the` nace space `surrounding the boiler into two compartments B4 and B5. The space B4 at the front end of the boiler communicates d1- rectly with the furnace space proper B, between the grate D and arch C2 through the passage B'. And the furnace space B communicates with the furnace space B4 of the boiler. The exit flue E extends preferably out horizontally and transversely below the boiler and at about the middle of the furnace, as is clearly indicated at Figs. 1 and 2. A damper or slide E regulates the opening between the exit flue E and the rear compartment B5 of the furnace space. The non-conducting wall or covering arch C4 at the top of the boiler is somewhat raised above the boiler shell at the rear compartment B5, so that the heat space B5 may completely surround the boiler at its rear end, as is clearly `indicated in Fig. l and in Fig. 2 at the left hand boilers. But thecovering wall or arch C5 at the front end of the boiler should :be set snug against the boiler shell, as is clearly indicated in Fig. l and also in Fig. 2, at the right hand boiler. Under each boiler I provide, or prefer to provide, two traveling grates D, the two being separated bya divisional wall CG.

The operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The arrows at Fig. l indicate the directions the products of combustion pass in their way through the furnace and boiler. By reason of the arches (J2 around the ends of which the products of combustion pass, and by `reason of the cross wall C3, it will be observed that the heat and products ofcombustion are deflected `or proj ected. directly against the boiler shell at `or near its middle portion, then lapping around the front end of the boiler shell they pass through the tubes of the `boiler and thence into the rear furnace space or compartment B5 and lap around the rearend of the boiler shell, and thence pass out through `the exit flue. By this means, in connection with the slow uniform and regular manner in which the fuel is fed or supplied the furnace and the grate kept always in a clean and proper condition for the admission of air or oxygen to the bed of fuel in process of lcombustion by reason of the automatically traveling grate, in combination with the feed hopper, I secure a most thorough and-complete combustion of the fuel, and also a complete absorption or utilization of the heat units -developed, and this too without the production or escape of smoke in the exit liuc, and the waste of fuel incident thereto.

The hinge linksdt are each furnished with friction wheels or rollers 15 that ltravel upon the guide ways or tracks D3 D4.

I claim l. The combination witha feed hopper of a traveling grate, a furnace B having forward and rear compartments B4 and B5 surrounding the boiler and separated by a cross wall near the middle portion of the boiler, said furnace'being also furnished with an arch projecting between the grate and the boiler, and having a passage B' for the products of combustion around the rear end of said arch, and an exit Hue connecting with thel rear compartment of said furnace, substantially as specified.

2. The combination' with a feed hopper of traveling grate, a furnace B having forward and rear compartments B4 and B5 surrounding the boiler and separated by a cross wall near the middle portion of the boiler, said furnace being also furnished with an arch projecting between the grate and the boiler, and having a passage B' for the products of combustion around the rear end of said arch and an exit flue connecting with the rear coinpartment of said furnace, said transverse division wall having an arch projecting over the rear end of the grate, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a feed hopper of a -traveling grate, a furnace B having forward and rear compartments B4 and B5surrounding the boiler and separated bya cross wall near the middle portion of the boiler, said furnace being also furnished with an arch projecting between the grate andthe boiler, and'having a passage B' for the products of combustion -around the rear end of said arch and an exit flue connecting with the rear compartment of said furnace, said exit flue extending out transversely and horizontally beneath said rear compartment of the boiler, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a feed hopper of a traveling grate, a furnace B having forward and rear compartments B4'and B5 surrounding the boiler and separated by a cross wall near the middle portion of the boiler, said furnace 'being also furnished with an arch projecting between the grate and the boiler,and having a passage B' for the products of combustion around the rear end of said arch,and an eXit iue connecting with the rear compartment of said furnace, and means for automatically and uniformly propelling said traveling grate, substantially as specified.

A traveling grate, comprising a series of links each composed of anumber of short parallel bars d supported on a pair of cross bars d' connected to aseries of hinge links d2, substantially as specified.

6. A link chain grate, each link of which comprises a series of short parallel gratebars d, cross bars d' for supporting said grate bars d, and hinge links cl2 furnished with bracket-s cl3 for supporting said cross bars CZ', substan- .tially as specified.

7. A link chain grate, each `link of which comprises a series of short parallel grate bars cl, cross bars d' for supporting said grate bars CZ, and hinge links d2 furnished with brackets d3 for supporting said cross bars d', said cross bars d' having rounded or thickened bearing ribs de, and said grate bars having slotted eyes d d10, substantially as specifiedV- 8. Alink chain grate, each link of which comprises a series of short parallel grate bars- CZ, and hingelinks cl2 furnished with brackets d3 for supporting said cross bars d', said cross bars d' having rounded or thickened bearing ribs d8, and said links having slotted eyes d'9 d10, said cross bars cl' having openings d6,

Vand said brackets d3 having lugs d7, entering said openings d6, substantially as specified.

10. The combination with the sprocket wheels D2 and guide ways or tracks D3 D4, of a link chain grate D comprising a series of links D', each consisting of a number of short parallel grate bars d, cross bars d' and hinge links d2, substantially as specified.

11. The combination with the sprocket wheels D2 and guideways or tracks D3 D4, of a link chain grate D comprising a series of links D', each consisting of a number of short parallel grate bars d, cross bars d' and hinge links d2, and a feed hopperF furnished with a gate cr'slide F', substantially` as specied.

12. The combination with the sprocket wheels D2 and guide Ways or tracks D3 D4, of alink chain grate D comprising a series of links D', each consisting of a number of short parallel grate bars d, cross bars cl', hinge links d2, a feed hopper F, boiler A, furnace B having forward and rear compartments B4 B5 separated by a transverse division wall C3,

said furnace also having opposing arches C' ment surrounding the boiler at the top, substantially as specified.

14. The combination of theboiler A With the furnace B having forward and rear coinpartments B4 B5, separated by a transverse division wall C3, and provided with an arch C2 projecting over the grate to near the rear end of the same and around which arch the flame and products of combustion pass, said compartment B5 being below the rear end of the boiler and communicating with the front compartment B4 through the boiler substantially as specied.

15. The combination of the boiler A with the furnace B having forward and rear compartments B4 B5, separated by a transverse C2 projecting over the grate to near the rear end of the same and around which arch the llame and products of combustion pass, an opposite and lower arch C projecting from said transverse Wall C3 over the rear end of the grate, and an exit liuc E furnished with a slide or damper E and extending beneath said rear compartment B5, substantially as specified.

17. The combination of the boiler Awith the furnace B having forward and rear compartments B'1 B5, separated by a transverse division Wall G3, and provided with an arch (l2 projecting over the grate to near the rear end of the same and around which arch the llame and products of combustion pass, an opposite and lower arch C projecting from said transverse Wall C3 over the rear end of the grate, and a gate or guard D, substantially as specified.

1S. A traveling grate coinprisiuga series of links each composed of a number of short parallel bars d supported ou a pair of cross bars d connected to a series of hinged links d2, said links being provided with rollers or wheels, in combination with a track, substantially as specified.

GEORGE GULICKSON. Witnesses:

EMMA HACK, LEW. E. CURTIs. 

